I could say that I don't really believe it and that time has flown... and while those things are somewhat true, it also feels like it was a lifetime ago that she was born. These four years... they have been a lot of work. A lot of hard hard work. Not always easy, but usually fun and interesting, but hard. Best four years of my life, and also the hardest four years of my life. So while they have gone by quickly, they also haven't, if that makes any sense (and I know it doesn't!).
Anyway, Eliza, at FOUR whole years old:
Loves to dance her crazy dance moves in the kitchen while I sing or while we listen to the radio (or in public while waiting in lines :)
She's a music lover. We listen to a lot of classical music in the house, but when it's dance party time, she likes Katy Perry, Mumford & Sons, and Walk Off the Earth. And it's pretty cute to hear her try to decipher the lyrics.
(She said: "look mom, I'm being a plant!)
Independence. Are there any four year olds who aren't independent, though? But she's so good at it, that I just can't complain about it! The child wants to do so much to help and wants to do so much for herself, and you know what? I find her genuinely helpful. She sets the table every night, she brings in the recycling bins after the recycling is picked up, she starts the dishwasher, she makes us fruit salad, she can get her own snack, she gets herself dressed, handles pottying/hand washing by herself, plays independently... the kid could move out and live by herself at age four! Ha! Ok not really.
She is so smart. I think I've said this every year. Now it probably just sounds like I'm bragging. I know I'm biased... but man, she startles me with her intelligence sometimes. She picks up even the littlest things the first time she hears them...and never seems to forget them. Her memory is insane. She has memories from a CRAZY long time ago. She remembers things from two years ago, when she was only 2!
Eliza is a wonderful sister. There was pretty much no transition to speak of when Alice was born and came home from the hospital. It was so seamless. It was like Eliza was just waiting for Alice all along, and when she got here, it was sort of like "yeah, that's my sister, so let's go home now!" and she just started living as a big sister like the whole thing was old hat to her. She really impressed me. Sure, she still can't seem to remember when Alice is sleeping that she needs to use quiet voices, and that can make this mama pretty annoyed... but then I think of the amazing things she does as Alice's sister - how she makes her laugh, how she loves her so much... and I know that waking up her baby sister is really a minor offense in the grand scheme of things. I love watching them together; they are both so very lucky to have one another.
Preschool is going well! Eliza's teachers report that she is very intellectual, focused and always on-task. Her sense of justice has become highly developed, so any student who is out of line or rude/mean/aggressive in Eliza's view gets the evil eye from her. While Eliza may try to test the waters at home (and oh boy DOES SHE), at school she's the model student. I guess that's how it should be, right?
She is crafty and creative, and I love seeing what she comes up with. She loves to paint, draw, cut shapes out of paper, glue, make "mixtures" out of anything she can get her hands on, bake, help cook... anything that is hands-on, messy, arty, she's up for it. Dress up, playing pretend, make believe, it's all in full swing at this age, and it's a joy to watch and listen to see what she comes up with. Her imagination is a beautiful place!
This girl is like her mama in many ways and one of those ways is sensitivity. She is SO sensitive - physically and emotionally. Loud noises, strong smells, sun that's too bright, itchy clothing tags, etc... pretty much anything that offends any one of her senses in even the slightest way is cause for major concern. (See below - she was hungry.)
Year three was a bit rough, overall. The more parents I talk to, the more I believe that "The Terrible Twos" is a phrase that is overused and overstated. The threes were harder on us, for sure. But, every age has its ups and downs, its good and its frustrating moments. That's just life. She's just a kid trying to figure out where she fits in this world, looking for both comfort from mom and dad as well as independence at the same time. Her job is to explore, to observe and to make sense of her world. It's not always an easy task for her, I'm confident of that, and guiding her through her childhood is a privilege, even on the hardest most frustrating days.
Cheers to another year, my little love.
Anyway, Eliza, at FOUR whole years old:
Loves to dance her crazy dance moves in the kitchen while I sing or while we listen to the radio (or in public while waiting in lines :)
She's a music lover. We listen to a lot of classical music in the house, but when it's dance party time, she likes Katy Perry, Mumford & Sons, and Walk Off the Earth. And it's pretty cute to hear her try to decipher the lyrics.
She is so smart. I think I've said this every year. Now it probably just sounds like I'm bragging. I know I'm biased... but man, she startles me with her intelligence sometimes. She picks up even the littlest things the first time she hears them...and never seems to forget them. Her memory is insane. She has memories from a CRAZY long time ago. She remembers things from two years ago, when she was only 2!
(Girl's got soul)
Eliza is a wonderful sister. There was pretty much no transition to speak of when Alice was born and came home from the hospital. It was so seamless. It was like Eliza was just waiting for Alice all along, and when she got here, it was sort of like "yeah, that's my sister, so let's go home now!" and she just started living as a big sister like the whole thing was old hat to her. She really impressed me. Sure, she still can't seem to remember when Alice is sleeping that she needs to use quiet voices, and that can make this mama pretty annoyed... but then I think of the amazing things she does as Alice's sister - how she makes her laugh, how she loves her so much... and I know that waking up her baby sister is really a minor offense in the grand scheme of things. I love watching them together; they are both so very lucky to have one another.
Preschool is going well! Eliza's teachers report that she is very intellectual, focused and always on-task. Her sense of justice has become highly developed, so any student who is out of line or rude/mean/aggressive in Eliza's view gets the evil eye from her. While Eliza may try to test the waters at home (and oh boy DOES SHE), at school she's the model student. I guess that's how it should be, right?
She is crafty and creative, and I love seeing what she comes up with. She loves to paint, draw, cut shapes out of paper, glue, make "mixtures" out of anything she can get her hands on, bake, help cook... anything that is hands-on, messy, arty, she's up for it. Dress up, playing pretend, make believe, it's all in full swing at this age, and it's a joy to watch and listen to see what she comes up with. Her imagination is a beautiful place!
This girl is like her mama in many ways and one of those ways is sensitivity. She is SO sensitive - physically and emotionally. Loud noises, strong smells, sun that's too bright, itchy clothing tags, etc... pretty much anything that offends any one of her senses in even the slightest way is cause for major concern. (See below - she was hungry.)
Year three was a bit rough, overall. The more parents I talk to, the more I believe that "The Terrible Twos" is a phrase that is overused and overstated. The threes were harder on us, for sure. But, every age has its ups and downs, its good and its frustrating moments. That's just life. She's just a kid trying to figure out where she fits in this world, looking for both comfort from mom and dad as well as independence at the same time. Her job is to explore, to observe and to make sense of her world. It's not always an easy task for her, I'm confident of that, and guiding her through her childhood is a privilege, even on the hardest most frustrating days.
Cheers to another year, my little love.
